Writing a grant for your classroom or school can be a rewarding process, especially when your grant gets funded and you are able to put your ideas into action. Even if you’ve followed the directions, written strategically, and planned your budget, there are still a few more things that will help your grant idea become a reality for you and your students. I’m wrapping up my four-part series on How to Write Grants with three more tips on how to see your funded project through to completion.
10. Measure up.
Even if it doesn’t ask for it, you should express in your grant application how you are going to monitor the success of the project you hope to have funded. How will you know if your students are successful and show progress as a result of this project? This shows your commitment to your project and its potential effectiveness. In the long run, observing for the effectiveness of your project will help you write future grants and utilize resources in your classroom. What specifically are the desired outcomes from this project? How will you know that your project was successful? State how you will know your goals have been met through your project.
11. Follow through.
If you write a grant and get it funded, it’s your “baby.” You can’t pass the buck and expect someone else to complete it for you because you get busy or frustrated. When you are awarded funds, you are developing a business partnership. Commitment is key for being successful with any grant funded project. How you conduct yourself will influence if you or others receive funding in the future from this source. So
order your materials, write thank you letters or emails (sending pictures of your grant in action is also a nice touch), complete the project, and send in the final report (if one is required).
12. If at first you don’t succeed…keep trying.
Sometimes the path to having an idea funded is a long, winding road. It also takes time to develop your grant writing style and approach. Sometimes, it just comes down to too many people applying for too few funds.
Take a look at what you wrote. There may be a better funding source for your grant, or maybe you need to revise how you presented your project. Learning how to write a grant proposal for education takes time, but it will be a skill you will use your entire teaching career. Everything gets better with time and practice – if you want it enough.
Although there has never been a busier time in education, writing grants for your classroom - either to fund project for this year or next - is a way to look forward to better experiences in the future. Whether it’s requesting necessities for virtual instruction like headphones or a longstanding program to give students experiences they wouldn’t have otherwise, grants give you the power to create the classroom environment you envision for your students. Use the tips from the How to Write Grants series to help you get there.
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